2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Leading off this effort is one of Penn State’s top returning playmakers on offense, wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Lambert-Smith is Penn State’s top returning wide receiver from last year’s Rose Bowl championship roster, and his role will be instrumental to Penn State’s success in 2023 as the Nittany Lions break in a new starting quarterback and look to establish chemistry with new faces as the top receiving targets this fall. Lambert-Smith’s knack for big plays should continue this year for what could be a fun Penn State offense.
Preseason Player Profile
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Hometown: Norfolk, VA
Height: 6-1
Weight: 184
247Sports Composite Ranking
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
[4-stars] | [No. 5 in Virginia] | [No. 35 overall wide receiver]
Class of 2020
Class in 2023: Junior
The nephew of a four-time Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor, there was never a sought about the kind of athletic genes Lambert-Smith brought to the table. Lambert-Smith had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2017 and 2018 prior to his arrival in Happy Valley. Lambert-Smith was invited to the All-American Bowl and The Opening Finals and committed to Penn State over offers from North Carolina and Clemson.
He hasn’t had to grow too much since coming out of high school, although he had put on a few more pounds of muscle in the last few years. His speed made him a standout on the recruiting trail and 247Sports compared him to Robert Woods for a player comp.
Some may feel he has yet to reach his full potential, but the 2023 season could be a big one for him.
Career Stats
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Year | Games | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
2020 | 6 | 15 | 138 | 0 |
2021 | 13 | 34 | 521 | 3 |
2022 | 13 | 24 | 389 | 4 |
Keandre Lambert-Smith has been a third wide receiver during the majority of his time with the Penn State program, and he has come up with a number of big plays to help out the offense throughout his previous three seasons on the field. But with Penn State’s offense set at the top of the wide receiver depth chart with former standouts like Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington, Lambert-Smith’s role never asked him to be a primary go-to option.
He did help stretch the field well though and capitalized on some big play moments when the focus may have been more on his teammates.
Depth Chart Overview
Michael Hickey/Getty Images
After being one of the top three wide receivers the last two seasons, KeAndre Lambert-Smith is positioned well to be a fixture in the passing game for the Nittany Lions entering the 2023 season. Lambert-Smith is the team’s top returning receiver from last season and is coming off an explosive performance in the Rose Bowl to remain a big-play option for the passing game.
Penn State is looking to replace two of its top receivers, and leading tight end, from last season with the departures of NFL draft picks Parker Washington and Brenton Strange in addition to the loss of Mitchell Tinsley. The Nittany Lions did add to the receiver position by adding Malik McClain from the transfer portal this spring, and Kent State transfer Dante Cephas is joining the program as an expected starting option. But Lambert-Smith should be a carryover mainstay in the receiving corp this season with more big plays waiting to happen.
